Buchanan's awful plan

[sideshowtim]

I'll also add that this is a wonderful way to complicate things. Things would get so ridiculous if this was in place....

 

[Dasa]

I like the idea....I'd much prefer if all the patriotic nationalistic stuff was taken out of cricket and it was just two teams competing with no talk of nation vs nation etc.

 

[Top_Cat]

For mine, it tears at the whole fabric of international cricket if you have players (even a few guys in each team) who are there for just opportunistic reasons - or reasons unrelated to genuinely wanting to represent that country. Or, to put it another way, guys who haven't demonstrated some sort of committment to that country by at least going through the protracted qualification process.

Duh. This is exactly what would happen to any player paid for their services. Players from within the countries don't get a free ride, what makes you think any other player would? Buchanan himself isn't even advocating that; RTFA.

If we had such a system as Buchanan proposes, what would it mean to win the Ashes or to win the Border/Gavaskar trophy?

It'd be no different. So if Strauss or Pietersen were captain of the English side next Ashes, by your logic, the contest is devalued? Was the Aussie team devalued when Dav Whatmore played Tests? Would the Aussie team be devalued if a couple of Pakistani's were recuited as juniors, worked their way through the ranks and played Test cricket?

Cricket is one of the few remaining round the calendar professional sports where you can actually beat a bunch of blokes from the place they're representing!

Soccer? Rugby Union/League?

As I said earlier, cricket and its history, like no other, is strongly founded on a sense of nationalism.

I'd argue that this nationalism does far more damage to the game as a whole than the idea Buchanan is proposing.

I'll also add that this is a wonderful way to complicate things. Things would get so ridiculous if this was in place....

How?

Guys, it already happens. Just informally. Adelaide district cricket teams have just recruited two South Africans with FC and international under-age experience who may well get a go for SA. But they'll have to prove themselves, just like anyone else, recruited or not. I can tell you they didn't just lob here hoping for a game. Same with all the South African players trying to get a go in English colours, same with the Zimbo's trying to get a game in Australia, same with that QLD player in Jamaica, same with all the other players who moved from one country to another having played their formative years elsewhere(Hollioake brothers, Geraint Jones, Mullally, Hamilton, Strauss, Wessels, Such, Hick, Caddick, Robin Smith, Alan Lamb, Lou Vincent, Sinclair, etc.). You think they weren't recruited too? Come on. Either way, having proven themselves, they were accepted by fair-minded individuals. Buchanan's idea just formalises what has always been around and attaches a better career path and more money.

 

[Top_Cat]

I like the idea....I'd much prefer if all the patriotic nationalistic stuff was taken out of cricket and it was just two teams competing with no talk of nation vs nation etc.

What he said.

 

[biased indian]

Am i the only guy who think australia wiill struggle to beat other teams ..if u just take out there 5 players from the current team and replace them with the next best available 5 players ????

My 5 players will be Hayden,Ponting,Hussey,Lee and S.Clarke (sp)....

i dont know who will replce them..but i am sure the indians and SL wil fancy there chance more aganist that team...in australia..and away they will struggle any way..

 

[Smudge]

Soccer? Rugby Union/League?

The British press would have you think otherwise about the All Blacks...





Sorry, BoyBrumby, couldn't help myself.

 

[burr]

The title of this thread sums up my thoughts when I read this article this morning.

 

[Goughy]

In general, Im all for a very narrow idea on who should represent a country. Im firmly of the belief of only English for the England Football manager, as I believe you should sink or swim on the merits of those from your nation. I was also one of those that thought Jacks team composition slighly tarnished the achievements of the Republic.

However, as I said earlier, cricket is a different animal. To be a well paid pro its essential to be an International cricketer and the nations are already like Franchises in the way the scheduling is set up.

Any player should be able to play for a country as long as they qualify and if they quest for opportunities or money. For too long, the cricket boards have held too much power of their respective labour markets.

However, I not convinced of the merits of cherry-picking young talent in order to fill gaps.

As long as its an initiative by a player then Im fine with it, but a lot less keen if boards are doing the recruiting.

Again, rather than hand more power and options to the players it takes away and makes the boards have an even greater hold over their players.

 

[honestbharani]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22754507-23212,00.html



What a horrendous idea. There are many things wrong with it. First of all, if a kid grows up in Australia, dreaming of one day wearing a baggy green, what the hell makes you think he's going to want to relocate to the West Indies and play for them? Absolutely ludicrous. Cricket is based heavily on history, national pride and nationalism, far more than other sports. Plus, I don't bloody want our future stars stolen and given to another country! They're ours!

Also, this isn't going to help the countries who 'steal' our players in the long run. It doesn't encourage up and coming players, it doesn't attempt to strengthen the game at a grass roots level...It's just taking a player from another country...for a remarkably short term goal..I don't think Buchanan has thought this through very well...

Here's a solution: Mind your bleeding own. While it may be a long process, something needs to be done in 'struggling' cricket nations. And good, strong administration can fix it. Stealing other countries' players isn't the way to go about it!

If they want to steal someone, they should try stealing some of the admins and the admin procedures of Australia.....


I don't mind Aussie players (the ones who play for state sides, not the national contracted guys) playing in the domestic leagues of other nations, maybe 1 overseas guy per team sort of thing. That will help in the quality getting better but I don't want Aussies playing for other test teams. It is just stupid.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I like the idea....I'd much prefer if all the patriotic nationalistic stuff was taken out of cricket and it was just two teams competing with no talk of nation vs nation etc.

The idea of International Sport is for different nations to compete against each other, it's not about rounding up the best players on the planet and sharing them out. If the best 50 cricketers on the planet are Australian but half of them don't get the chance to play Test Cricket it's just their misfortune.

 

[sideshowtim]

Haha, on Fox Sports News, Symo's response to it was a shake of the head and "...Come on John...What are you thinking?....No one wants to do that.."

 

[Craig]

We'll take Luke Ronchi thanks. He wouldn't even need to sit out the qualification period, as one of his parents is a Kiwi, I believe.

Also, is it too late for us to borrow Mike Hussey? We'll give him back when he's 45. Honest.

Even better, he was born in Manawatu. Don't know if it would help NZ cricket, I mean if they signed a younger fast bowler or two from Australia they would usually catch the injury bug when their planes touch down in Auckland

Anyway I don't think Australia can judge if you look at other sports, Clyde Rathbone being on example and then there was that Argentine who used to play rugby for the Pumas and then moved to Australia and played for the Wallaby's .

 

[howardj]

Duh. This is exactly what would happen to any player paid for their services. Players from within the countries don't get a free ride, what makes you think any other player would? Buchanan himself isn't even advocating that; RTFA.

What? I never mentioned anything about getting a free ride. RTFP. I said that I want players playing for a country only if they're born there or if they have gone through a protracted (as it currently is) qualification process and proved that they have some sort of committment to the country. How on earth you brought a 'free ride' argument into it is beyond me.

It'd be no different. So if Strauss or Pietersen were captain of the English side next Ashes, by your logic, the contest is devalued? Was the Aussie team devalued when Dav Whatmore played Tests? Would the Aussie team be devalued if a couple of Pakistani's were recuited as juniors, worked their way through the ranks and played Test cricket?

Please read what I've written and also read the article. Buchanan is advocating the relaxation of the qualification process. By contrast, people like Pietersen qualified for England through the proper channels - there was no relaxation of the rules.

Buchanan's idea just formalises what has always been around and attaches a better career path and more money

It is not a formalisation of what is already happening. I repeat, he is proposing the relaxation of the qualification rules so guys can play for whatever country that their talents allow them to, and as quickly as their talent allows them to. Thus, this goes way beyond a 'formalisation of what has always been around'.

And, as stated above by Andrew Symonds when asked about Buchanan's idea: "Nobody wants to do that".

 

[BoyBrumby]

The British press would have you think otherwise about the All Blacks...





Sorry, BoyBrumby, couldn't help myself.

Even better, he was born in Manawatu. Don't know if it would help NZ cricket, I mean if they signed a younger fast bowler or two from Australia they would usually catch the injury bug when their planes touch down in Auckland

Anyway I don't think Australia can judge if you look at other sports, Clyde Rathbone being on example and then there was that Argentine who used to play rugby for the Pumas and then moved to Australia and played for the Wallaby's .

Patricio Noriega. Dan Vickerman is a saffie too. Not to mention Wille O, who basically ended up playing for Oz becuase he couldn't get back to NZ on his Tongan passport after touring Australia with New Zealand Schools.

 

[Craig]

Patricio Noriega. Dan Vickerman is a saffie too. Not to mention Wille O, who basically ended up playing for Oz becuase he couldn't get back to NZ on his Tongan passport after touring Australia with New Zealand Schools.

When you think about it turned out to be good riddance for SA with Rathbone and Vickerman going to play in Australia.

 

[Poker Boy]

God that Buchannan does talk nonsense doesn't he? Even money mad football doesn't do this. The clubs are full of foreingers there, but they still stick to qualification rules for national teams (and you can't play for more than one country in football so you don't have a Kepler Wessels scenario there). When Tony Banks suggested foreingers playing in the Premership could play for England, people regarded it as a joke. Another point - did anyone say cricket was boring when the WI were dominating Test cricket from 1980-95 even more so than the Aussies are now? Australia have lost four series (plus a one off in India) in the last 12 years -four more than the Windies did in 15.

 

[silentstriker]

I like the idea....I'd much prefer if all the patriotic nationalistic stuff was taken out of cricket and it was just two teams competing with no talk of nation vs nation etc.

Actually, that does have a lot of merit. The nationalistic BS is very tiring.

 

[Poker Boy]

Maybe if this new 20/20 Championship takes off that could happen and it could become as cosmopolitan as football's CL or Rugby's Heninken Cup - and it wouldn't bother me if it did - but national teams are national teams....as I wrote before even money obsssed football beieves this...

 

[shortpitched713]

Actually, that does have a lot of merit. The nationalistic BS is very tiring.

So you're seriously telling me that an Indian team comprised out of Australians would give you a whole lot of satisfaction?

In fact thats basically what would happen. The crap half of every team would get replaced by Australians. And tbh, I really couldn't be bothered about the nonsense that "international cricket" would become at that point.

 

[TT Boy]

The idea of International Sport is for different nations to compete against each other, it's not about rounding up the best players on the planet and sharing them out. If the best 50 cricketers on the planet are Australian but half of them don't get the chance to play Test Cricket it's just their misfortune.

Spot on. The idea is so awful that one should be concerned that someone in authority may take it seriously. And the quicker the ICC outlaw players from representing two nations like FIFA have done the better. Its ludicrous how someone like Saqlain Mushtaq could represent England tomorrow.